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Managing
your Career

MANAGING
YOUR CAREER
Notes to Interviewers
Should Go Beyond
A Simple Thank You
By JOANN S. LUBLIN

Everyone knows they should express their gratitude in writing
following a job interview. Yet most applicants spend scant
time writing such letters. Dashing off a perfunctory note
blows a great opportunity to gain a competitive edge and,
possibly, to seal the deal.

MORE INTERVIEWING TIPS

A thoughtful follow-up carries as much clout as a cover letter,
many experts say. Nearly nine out of 10 senior executives
consider a written thank you influential in evaluating candidates,
according to a 2007 survey of 150 respondents by Accountemps,
a professional staffing service.

Your post-interview correspondence should deliver a sales
pitch far more compelling than a simple thanks. "Put
a spin on it that acts in your favor,'' recommends Kate Wendleton,
president of the Five O'Clock Club, a career-counseling network
in New York.

"An effective thank-you letter should hit every one of
an employer's hot buttons," concurs Wendy Enelow, an
author, trainer and career consultant in Coleman Falls, Va.

You can hit those buttons by linking your skills to solving
specific workplace problems that you learned about during
interviews. Doing so helped one prospect win a top post at
a New York nonprofit group last month.

Her thank-you letter proposed numerous concrete ideas akin
to free consulting, recollects Marilyn Machlowitz, the New
York executive recruiter involved. "She knew how to translate
her experience and expertise to fit their needs."

To bolster your chances further, make sure your letter describes
relevant achievements and potential contributions beyond those
you cited in person. "We didn't even talk about the fact
that I am also a professional techie,'' an aspiring saleswoman
noted in her post-interview letter to Inspirica, a small tutoring
concern in New York.

"She took another job before we could grab her,'' laments
Lisa Jacobson, the company's chief executive.

A well-crafted letter also may overcome a hiring manager's
initial qualms about you. "You can address any issues
that may have not gone your way in the interview,'' suggests
Gary Calvaneso, an executive vice president for a West Coast
defense contractor.

He learned this lesson when he sought a divisional marketing
vice presidency at a medical-devices company several years
ago. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
the head of the company asked during their interview. Mr.
Calvaneso outlined a long-term marketing plan rather than
his personal ambitions, however.

"Is that what you were looking for?" Mr. Calvaneso
wondered.

"Not exactly," the CEO stiffly replied.

Worried that he had ruined his chances, Mr. Calvaneso sought
advice from Brad Remillard, the recruiter handling the search.
Mr. Remillard, president of Impact Hiring Solutions, urged
him to correct his mistake immediately with a follow-up letter.

Mr. Calvaneso spent 30 minutes crafting his letter's most
important sentence. "I am not sure that I communicated
the response to your question about the next five years exactly
as you intended,'' he wrote. He then explained why he hoped
to work for a business where he could grow. The letter "opened
the door again,'' he says. He got the job.

In applying to his current employer, Mr. Calvaneso took no
chances. His thank-you letter strengthened points he raised
during interviews about why the defense contractor should
pick an industry novice. He argued that he offered a fresh
perspective and transferable marketing know-how.

Every key interviewer deserves a personalized thank-you letter,
focused on his or her unique interests. You should collect
business cards, duck into the bathroom between sessions and
jot down details about the individual you just met.

Career coaches, recruiters and human-resource managers disagree
about the format for a follow-up, however. Email often makes
the most sense when a hiring decision looms. But an informal
electronic message could offend a high-level executive at
a tradition-bound business. And corporate spam filters may
kill your instant communication before he sees it.

On the other hand, a hard-copy document sent via overnight
carrier keeps" the job seeker in the immediate consciousness
of the interviewer,'' Ms. Enelow points out.

A handwritten message in flawless penmanship can leave an
indelible impression -- especially if you use simple stationery,
minus any flowers or animals. More than half of the respondents
to Accountemps's survey prefer that approach. "Handwritten
notes are a lost art,'' says Arnnon Geshuri, Google's director
of recruiting. Applicants "can go a long way" by
taking this extra step to brand themselves, he adds.

Last year, a strong contender for a Google account-executive
position delivered a handwritten thank you to an internal
recruiter -- along with cupcakes for the recruiter and five
other officials who also interviewed him. One letter of the
Google name appeared atop each pastry. His gesture "was
just icing on the cake,'' Mr. Geshuri quips. The Internet
company hired the candidate.